The Best Surprise
by firefly81
Summary: Young Dirk Cresswell receives his Hogwarts letter.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Thanks to erbkaiser, my fellow Magpie, for looking this over for me.

Written for Round 5 of the Quidditch League FanFiction Competition. Go Magpies!

* * *

Today was his birthday. He, Dirk Cresswell, was turning eleven today. There was something especially exciting about this birthday, as it meant this upcoming school year would be his last in primary. He was more than ready to move on to secondary in order to be with the big kids. Dirk was sick of being treated like a baby all the time.

Watching his mother rush around the house to do some last minute cleaning, he laughed at how much she resembled a madwoman. His party was going to be starting soon and all his friends from his class were going to be there. The house was decorated to the nines, just as it should be for any birthday party. Brightly colored streamers hung from the ceiling, overfilled balloons bounced along the floor as if they had a mind of their own, and the table was full of party hats just begging to be put on. There was even a huge chocolate cake, his favorite, waiting to be eaten. He rocked back and forth on his feet in impatient excitement; he couldn't wait.

The doorbell rang: his friends were here! It was party time!

* * *

The party had been everything he had hoped. There was a pile of presents a mile high, close to teetering over, sitting in the corner of the room. Everything he had asked for, he had received, and then some. Thinking it was impossible for the day to get any better, he would soon find out how very wrong he was. His day was about to get so much better.

It was about seven in the evening, his party long over, when the doorbell rang. His parents shot each other confused looks as they weren't expecting any additional visitors that day. He watched his mother rise from her favorite chair, old and tattered as it was. Crossing the room, now void of any evidence of a party, she flung open the door to reveal a most surprising sight. There, standing on their doorstep, was the most peculiar looking woman he had ever seen. She was wearing an unusual hat that was similar to the witch's hat his cousin wore for Halloween last year. Accompanying that was some sort of dress, but not like any dress he was familiar with. He watched her with a wide-eyed expression as she began to speak.

"Hello. My name is Minerva McGonagall. I'm here about your son, Dirk. May I come in?"

His mother turned around to face him with that 'what did you do now?' look on her face. He frantically shook his head because he didn't do anything wrong! He watched as his mother stepped aside to let this strange woman into their house. His mother politely offered her a seat and asked if she would like some tea, to which she declined. Instead, the woman turned to him and held out an envelope.

"This is for you, Mr. Cresswell."

Reaching out, he warily took the letter from her. Looking at the front, he could clearly see it was addressed to him.

_Mr. Dirk Cresswell_

_1st bedroom on the left, second floor_

_104 Brook Drive_

_London, England_

His eyes widened in surprise. How did she know which bedroom was his?!

"Mr. and Mrs. Cresswell, I am from a special school called Hogwarts. It's a school for children that are gifted in an extraordinary way, like your son. Your son, he is a wizard."

His mother and father just sat there as if they were waiting for the punch line of the joke. He, however, knew it was true. Just like that, he was flooded with understanding. All those weird instances that his parents always seemed to brush off, they were caused by him using his magic! The time all his food disappeared off his plate when he knew he didn't eat it or when the window shattered out of nowhere when he was angry after getting a long grounding. He could do magic!

At his realization, he jumped up and punched the air.

"I'm a wizard! This...is...awesome! I get to go to a special wizard school; that's so much better than going to secondary!"

His parents were just staring at him, looking to be a bit shocked. The professor from the super cool school was looking at him with a small smile on her face, as if she was amused by his antics. He rushed around the room in an excited fashion.

"I'll need my calculator and my lucky pencil! Mother, father, can I get a new bag? Are we leaving right now?"

His mother started chuckling at him and asked him to calm down.

"Professor, this is quite a surprise. Is this some kind of joke? Everyone knows that magic doesn't exist."

"Do they?" the professor asked as she suddenly turned into a cat. He watched with a great deal of fascination as his mother fainted dead away. His father didn't even try to help her. After returning to her original state, the professor took out some stick and whispered something that sounded like 'Ennervate'. At that, his mother came to, sputtering nonsense. He had been trying to stay calm but he just couldn't help himself anymore.

"That was so bloody cool! Can you teach me to do that? What else you can do?" He shot off question after question, vaguely aware of his mother admonishing him for his language. Finally, the professor just held up her hand to stop his rambling.

"Hogwarts will teach you many things, Mr. Cresswell. It will teach you how to control your magic and if you study hard, you might one day be able to turn yourself into an animal like I just did. It's called an animagus. Now, why don't you go upstairs so I can speak to your parents in private?"

Nodding, he started to make his way to his bedroom even though he really wanted to stay. He paused and turned back as the professor spoke to him once more.

"And Mr. Cresswell? Happy birthday, dear boy."

He smiled at her in thanks and bounded up the stairs.

This had to be the best birthday EVER.

* * *

Team prompt: Dirk Cresswell

Scene: Getting their Hogwarts letter

Other prompts:

(4) calculator

(10) pencil

(13) bag


End file.
